1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reproducing device secured to the ceiling surface of the room of a mobile unit such as a vehicle to reproduce and display image information.
2. Description of the Related Art
As this type of the image reproducing device, for example, WO 02/09976 A1 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) discloses an image reproducing device including a display monitor (image display unit) and a reproducing unit such as a DVD player; these display monitor and reproducing unit are rotatably supported by a common rotating shaft in the folding/developing direction with respect to a chassis; the chassis is secured on the ceiling surface of the vehicle room; when using the device, the display monitor is downwardly opened, responsively followed by the reproducing unit to be opened to a position where a disk-inserting inlet comes to a DVD-insertable slanted angle, whereas when not using the device, the display monitor is rotated to be folded against the chassis side, thus sandwiching the reproducing unit between a top cover bonded over the chassis, and the display monitor through cushion members provided on the upper and lower portions of the reproducing unit. Then, only the display monitor can be locked at the position where the reproducing unit is sandwiched.
Since the conventional image reproducing device is arranged as mentioned above, there is the following problem. In the state where the reproducing unit is sandwiched between the top cover of the chassis and the display monitor and only the display monitor is locked when the device is not used, the cushion member is interposed not only between the reproducing unit and the top cover, but also between the reproducing unit and the display monitor. In such a manner, the reproducing unit and display monitor can resist weak shocks and vibrations while the vehicle is moving. However, when the reproducing unit and display monitor receive a strong vibration, they cannot resist the vibration, to thereby be shaken.
More specifically, there is provided a leaf spring that soft-locks (temporarily holds) the reproducing unit at the position where the unit is folded and stored on the common rotating shaft supporting the reproducing unit and the display monitor, and there is provided a shallow engaging concavity in which the leaf spring engages in the vicinity of the rotating shaft on the side of the reproducing unit. The leaf spring elastically engages in this engaging concavity, thereby holding the reproducing unit at the folding/storing position. Moreover, the locking mechanism of the display monitor is arranged as follows: a claw-engaging concavity is provided on the two sides of the display monitor; a lever-shaped opening-and-closing locking claw, which engages in the claw-engaging concavity, is rotatably pivoted on the chassis; and the opening-and-closing locking claw is energized by a spring member in the direction where the claw engages the claw-engaging concavity. Here, in order for the display monitor to be locked or held by the opening-and-closing locking claw at the position at which the monitor thrusts the cushion members, the claw-engaging concavity is formed so as to have a sideward-opened concave shape of size so that an idle space will be formed under the opening-and-closing locking claw engaging the inner surface of the upper end of the concavity.
Accordingly, when the above-described conventional image reproducing device receives a strong impact or vibration while the vehicle is moving in the state in which the reproducing unit and the display monitor are folded or stored and locked, the display monitor violently vibrates up and down within the idle space of the claw-engaging concavity. This results in the detachment of the leaf spring from the shallow engaging concavity, thereby violently vibrating the reproducing unit up and down. The reproducing unit and the display monitor held at the folding/storing position can uncontrollably descend by their own weight. Thus, there is a problem that the image reproducing device cannot have sufficient vibration resistance.